The present invention relates to absorbent articles. The absorbent articles comprise an absorbent core material which is covered by an apertured film. Absorbent articles of the invention are useful in various applications including sanitary protection products, diapers, and bandages.
Absorbent products such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers and bandages are used to absorb body fluids such as menses, urine and wound exudate. These absorbent products generally require that the absorbent pad or absorbent article thereof be able to absorb a significant amount of body fluid. In some instances, the absorbent component must be capable of absorbing an amount of body fluid whose weight is greater than the weight of the absorbent material itself. It is also desirable that the body contacting surface of an absorbent product be dry, or relatively dry, even after the absorbent product has absorbed the body fluid, which it is designed to receive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,135 discloses an absorptive structure comprising an absorbent material and an apertured film. The absorbent material may be, for example, comminuted wood pulp. The apertured film serves as a top sheet for the absorptive structure. The apertured film is smooth on one side, and has protuberances on the other side. The protuberances of the apertured film face the absorbent material thereby forming the absorptive structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,217 discloses a disposable absorbent article. The absorbent article has an absorbent core made of a material such as comminuted wood pulp. An apertured film encloses the absorbent core. The apertured film has protuberances which face both major surfaces of the absorbent core.
Despite the disclosure of the above-mentioned patents, there is a continuing need for an absorbent article with the ability to absorb a significant amount of fluid yet provide a dry feeling against the skin of the user after absorbing the fluid.
The present invention provides an absorbent article comprising an inner absorbent core material having a first major surface and a second major surface; a bottom layer; and a top layer. The bottom layer of the absorbent article comprises an apertured film having an open area and protuberances, and is oriented such that the protuberances face the inner absorbent core material. The top layer of the absorbent article comprises an apertured film having an open area and protuberances, and is oriented such that the protuberances face away from the inner absorbent core material.
Due to the design of the article of the invention, based on the orientation of the protuberances of the apertured film comprising the top and bottom layers, the article of the invention absorbs significant amounts of fluid. The bottom layer of the article of the invention faces the liquid to be absorbed. Fluids flow through the bottom layer of the absorbent article into the absorbent core. The absorbent core absorbs the fluids. The top layer of the absorbent article, owing to the specific orientation of its protuberances, tends to prevent liquids from entering into the absorbent article.
The absorbent core may be made from various materials including rayon fibers; natural fibers, such as, but not limited to, cotton fibers and wood pulp fibers; synthetic fibers, such as, but not limited to, polyester fibers, polyamide fibers, and polyolefin fibers, and combinations thereof. The fibers may be bicomponent fibers. For example, the bicomponent fibers may be in a sheath-core configuration in which the sheath comprises one polymer and the core comprises a different polymer. Bicomponent fibers having the other configurations, e.g., a side-by-side configuration, may also be used.
Preferably the fibers comprising the absorbent core are bonded at the points where they cross over and are in contact with each other. The bonding may be achieved, e.g., by heating the fibers so that they soften and fuse together at their crossover points. Alternatively, the fibers may be bonded by the use of an adhesive which can be applied by, e.g., spraying or gravure printing methods. Typically, the fibers are solid fibers; however, the fibers, or portions thereof, may be hollow fibers. Fibers having deniers ranging from about 3 to 10 may be advantageously used for the absorbent core. The basis weight for the absorbent core is not limited, but typically may range from 0.003 g/cm2 to 0.015 g/cm2.
In a preferred embodiment, the absorbent core comprises a nonwoven fabric made from bicomponent fibers which have been fusion-bonded using hot air. The bicomponent fibers are sheath-core fibers in which the sheath material comprises polyethylene and the core material comprises polyester. The denier of the sheath-core fibers is about 3. The nonwoven fabric has a basis weight of about 2 oz/yd2.
The top layer and the bottom layer of the article of the invention are made from an apertured film having an open area and a plurality of protuberances. Such apertured films are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,929,135, 4,324,246, 4,342,314, 4,463,045, and 5,006,394, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Particularly useful apertured films include Vispore(copyright) apertured film supplied by Tredegar. Such apertured films include, but are not limited to, those available commercially under the designations Tredegar X-6799, Tredegar X-6845, Tredegar X-6923, Tredegar X-6944, and Tredegar X-6844. The film has a female side, which is smooth, and a male side, which is somewhat less smooth, due to the protuberances. The apertured films may be made from any polymeric material including, but not limited to, polyethylene, metallocene catalyzed polyethylene, polypropylene, and copolymers thereof, and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers. An apertured film of one type may be used for the top layer, while a apertured film of another type may be used for the bottom layer. Usually, however, the same apertured film is used for both the bottom and top layers.
The open area of the apertured film comprising the bottom layer and the top layer of the absorbent article of the invention is defined as the area occupied by apertures. The open area for the top layer and the bottom layer of the article of the invention may range from 5 percent to 30 percent, preferably from 10 percent to 25 percent of the total area of the apertured film.
The bottom layer of the article of the invention may be treated with a hydrophilic surfactant including, but not limited to, laurate esters of sorbitol and sorbitol anhydrides condensed with ethylene oxide, such as polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, and polysorbate 80; ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers; octyl phenol ethoxylates; nonyl phenol ethoxylates; and ethoxylated alcohols. The term xe2x80x9ctreatedxe2x80x9d means that the bottom layer has had a hydrophillic surfactant incorporated therein during the polymerization process used to manufacture the polymeric resin from which the bottom layer is made, or the hydrophilic surfactant is incorporated with the polymer during the process by which the apertured film is made, or the bottom layer is coated with the hydrophillic surfactant after the bottom layer has been made.
The apertured film may, if desired, comprise Triclosan or a like anti-bacterial agent in an anti-bacterially effective amount. The apertured film comprises a smooth side and a side having protuberances. The bottom layer of the absorbent article of the invention is oriented such that the protuberances of the apertured film face the bonded absorbent core. The top layer of the article of the invention is oriented such that the protuberances of the apertured film face the outside of the absorbent article.
The bottom layer and the top layer of the absorbent article of the invention may be secured to the absorbent core material by means known in the art. For example, a suitable adhesive may be applied to the top of the absorbent core material, and the top layer may then be applied to the absorbent core. Then the bottom of the absorbent core may be coated with the adhesive and the bottom layer may be applied to the bottom of the absorbent core. Other means known in the art, e.g. ultrasonic bonding, may also be used.
The adhesives may be made from any polymerization process including solution or dispersion processes. The adhesives may be hot melt adhesives. Examples of suitable adhesives include, but are not limited to those based on styrenic block copolymers and tackifying resins such as HL-1491 from HB-Fuller Co. (St. Paul Minn.), H-2543 from ATO-Findley (Wawatausa, Wis.), and 34-5534 from National Starch and Chemical (Bridgewater, N.J.). Ethylene copolymers, including ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, may also be useful. Suitable adhesives also include acrylic based, dextrin based, and urethane based adhesives as well as natural and synthetic elastomers. The adhesives may also include amorphous polyolefins including amorphous polypropylene, such as HL-1308 from H B Fuller or Rextac RT 2373 from Huntsman (Odesssa, Tex.). The adhesive may be compounded with Kraton(copyright) synthetic rubber and the like, or natural rubber with a tackifier and antioxidant process aids.
The adhesive can be applied in the molten stage, sprayed, or slot die coated. The spray can be applied by control coating, control weaving, control fiberization, meltblowing, flexo coating, screen printing, or other discontinuous coating methods.
The present invention also provides a method which utilizes the materials described above. The method includes: placing an apertured film having protuberances on a surface with the protuberances facing up; applying an adhesive to the top surface of an absorbent core material; placing the top surface of the absorbent core material on the apertured film; placing a second apertured film having protuberances on a surface with the protuberances facing up; applying an adhesive to the top surface of the second apertured film; and placing the bottom surface of the absorbent core material on the top surface of the second apertured film; whereby the absorbent article is formed.
The absorbent article of the invention may be made in any desired shape, including, but not limited to, round, oval, rectangular, square, and triangular. The size of the absorbent article of the invention will vary depending on the desired application.
Absorbent articles of the invention may be used as, or as components of, various products including, but not limited to, bandages, sanitary protection pads, diapers, and implements for carrying and/or dispensing anti-itch agents, acne treating agents, moisturizers, and the like. For bandages, the absorbent article of the invention may be square, rectangular, round, oval, or triangular in shape. The size of the bandage will depend on the shape of the bandage and the size of the wound meant to be covered by the bandage. Generally, a square bandage may range in size from 5 cmxc3x975 cm to 15 cmxc3x9715 cm, preferably from 7.5 cmxc3x977.5 cm to 12.5 cmxc3x9712.5 cm. The length of a rectangular bandage may range from 5 cm to 15 cm, preferably from 7.5 cm to 12.5 cm. The width of a rectangular bandage may range from 0.5 cm to 5 cm, preferably from 1 cm to 3 cm. A circular bandage may range in outer diameter from 5 cm to 20 cm, preferably from 7.5 cm to 17.5 cm, more preferably from 10 cm to 15 cm.
The thickness of the absorbent article of the invention will vary depending on the application, but generally may range from 0.25 mm to 5 mm, preferably 1 mm to 3 mm, more preferably 1 mm to 2 mm.
When the absorbent article of the invention is used as the wound contacting pad of a bandage, the bottom layer of the absorbent article is oriented toward the user""s skin and serves as a wound release layer, meaning that the layer will not stick to the wound to which the bandage is applied. The bottom layer is made of the same apertured film described above. The top layer of the bandage is also made of the apertured film described above.
When used as the wound contacting pad of an adhesive bandage, the open area of the top layer of the absorbent article and the open area of the bottom layer of the absorbent article may be the same or may be different. In order to reduce the contact area of the bandage against the wound, the open area of the bottom layer of the absorbent article may range from 5 percent to 30 percent, preferably from 10 percent to 25 percent of the total area of the apertured film. The reduction in contact area against the wound reduces the wound release force. This results in a lower re-injury occurrence of the wound. The top layer of the absorbent article may have a smaller open area than the bottom layer of the bandage. The use of a top layer having a reduced open area tends to prevent undesirable escape of liquid from the inner absorbent core.
In one embodiment of an adhesive bandage, the absorbent article of the invention is secured, as by adhesive, to a backing comprising a polyethylene foam of any density, or conbinations of various density polyethylenes. The density of the foam may range from 0.008 g/cm3 to 0.160 g/cm3. The foam may be perforated or apertured. The size of the perforation or aperture may range from 0.01 mm to 5 mm. The total open area may range from 10 percent to 80 percent of the total foam area. The perforations or apertures may be made by extrusion, mechanical, hot-pinning or ultrasonic perforation. The thickness of the bandage may range from 1 mm to 3 mm.